


Carpets and Misunderstandings

by froxyn



Category: Doctor Who
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-10
Updated: 2011-01-10
Packaged: 2017-10-14 15:25:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/150731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/froxyn/pseuds/froxyn





	Carpets and Misunderstandings

Title: Carpets and Misunderstandings  
Author: Froxyn  
Pairing: Rose/Ten  
Rating: FRAO  
Timeline: Immediately following The Satan Pit.  
Synopsis: After their escape from Krop Tor and a happy reunion, Rose and the Doctor decide to celebrate.  
Author’s Note: Thanks to [fairygothmum](http://fairygothmum.livejournal.com) for the beta!

 

The Doctor propped his head up with his left hand, his elbow resting on the table, and grinned as Rose giggled. He started to comment on her drunkenness, but realized that he was just as, if not more, drunk than she.

Normally, he would’ve stopped her five drinks ago. Normally, he would’ve stopped himself at least three drinks ago. But, then...normally, their life and death situations weren’t as close as the one they’d just managed to scrape through. In fact, the Doctor had resigned himself to the fact that he’d never see Rose again...that he was going to die in the core of Krop Tor while screaming at the Beast about how much he believed, _truly believed_ , in Rose Tyler.

He tried to focus his eyes on Rose as she poured them both another drink, but gave up quickly and settled on smiling drunkenly at her instead. “You were amazing...brilliant and amazing!”

“I just did what you would’ve done.” Rose argued, pushing his glass...now full once more...back over to him.

“Well, then _I’m_ amazing too!”

Rose snorted a laugh and raised her glass. “Yeah...but, you’ve always been amazing.”

The Doctor sat up and lifted his glass, lightly clinking it against hers before taking a sip. “Yeah?”

“Yeah...” Rose nodded, lowering her glass to the table without taking a drink. “Thought I wasn’t gonna see you again. Thought I’d lost you this time.”

Even in his drunken state, he could easily hear the desolate tone of her voice. He tried to ease her pain by offering her a wide smile.

“Ah...it’ll take more than a black hole and a wannabe devil to rid you of me, Rose Tyler. I thought you’d realized that after all this time.”

“Don’t always have a choice, you know?” Rose lifted her gaze to his, tears filling her eyes as she shrugged a shoulder. “Last choice you had was climbing into that lift.”

“Oh, Rose...” He whispered, dropping his half-empty glass onto the table and grabbing her hand. “Rose, I’m sorry...so, so sorry...”

A tear spilled down her cheek as she laced their fingers together. “Never again, Doctor. Don’t you _ever_ do that to me again!”

He reached up with his free hand and tenderly brushed the tears from her skin. “Never again.”

“I’m serious, Doctor!” Rose cried, her bottom lip trembling.

“I promise, Rose. Never again.” He leaned over and pressed a warm kiss to her cheek.

Hearing her sniffle, he kissed her again...this time closer to the corner of her mouth. He felt her fingers tighten around his as she inhaled sharply. He pulled back slightly, his lips hovering over her skin as he waited.

He wasn’t exactly sure what it was he was waiting for, but when she whispered his name he closed his eyes and lightly kissed her bottom lip. He followed that with another kiss almost immediately, sliding his hand to the back of her neck.

If he was surprised when her lips parted beneath his, he didn’t show it. He merely took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth as she pulled her hand from his. When he felt her hand on his chest, he wondered if she was going to push him away.

He felt a rush of relief when her fingers curled, gripping his shirt instead. And then her tongue was stroking his as her other hand moved to the back of his head. When he felt his cock start to harden, he groaned and pulled from the kiss. His eyes searched her face as he took a deep, shaky breath.

“Rose...”

She swallowed and then licked her kiss-swollen lips as she uncurled her fingers, releasing her grip on his shirt. She moved her hand from his hair and let it drop on his shoulder.

“Well, that was new...”

His hand rested on her thigh, his fingers idly rubbing the denim of her jeans. “Okay?”

“Uh-huh, yeah...” She nodded, ignoring the voice in her head that was whispering something about alcohol and inhibitions. “Oh yeah...definitely okay...”

“You’re so beautiful, Rose...” He whispered, leaning forward and resting his forehead against hers. “I’ve always thought so.”

Her fingers played with a button on his shirt as she fought off a wave of dizziness. “Even before?”

He smiled, instinctively knowing that she was referring to his former self...the man he was when they first met. “Yeah...one of the reasons I found you again.”

“Thought you were looking for the arm...” She murmured, shifting just enough to brush her lips against his.

“Would’ve found you anyway.” He mumbled, his fingers tightening around her thigh. “Wouldn’t have admitted it then, but...I knew from the moment you told me your name that I wanted to spend...I wanted you to come with me.”

She grinned and slid forward on her chair. “Still want me to come with you?”

He stared into her eyes, trying to determine if this was the normal harmless flirting that they’d grown accustomed to during their time together. And then he realized...their flirting had never been all that harmless. Or _normal_ , for that matter. He felt himself nodding before he could stop.

“Yeah...yeah, I do.”

She stood up and looked down at him, thinking too late that she’d moved too quickly. She wobbled from the sudden movement and slammed her palm down on the table. He quickly moved his hands to her hips to steady her and narrowed his eyes in concern.

“You okay?”

“Yep...” She chuckled and gently ruffled his already mussed hair before leaning down and planting a wet kiss on his forehead. “Coming?”

He licked his lips and glanced towards the hall that led to the bedrooms. He wanted to ask if she was sure, if this was really what she wanted. If _he_ was what she really wanted. Feeling her palm against his cheek, he slowly met her eyes to find her smiling warmly at him.

“Is this because we’re drunk?” He asked instead, leaning into her touch.

She was quiet for a moment...just long enough for him to start to worry. As soon as he lowered his eyes, she spoke softly.

“I asked you to share a mortgage with me...and we weren’t drunk then.”

“I would.” He blurted, slipping his fingers into her belt loops and pulling himself up.

She furrowed her brow, grabbing him as he swayed lightly. “You would what?”

“Share.” He stated, glancing at her lips. “God, I want to fuck you.”

Rose grinned and leaned up to run her tongue over his chin. “I love how blunt you are when you’re drunk.”

“Do you?” He asked, edging his fingers under the hem of her shirt. “Not too rude?”

“Nope...” She sighed, closing her eyes as he bent down and pressed a warm, open-mouthed kiss to the side of her neck. “Not here, Doctor...”

He took a step forward and she stepped back...stopping suddenly when her hip bumped into the table behind her. He licked his lips as she sat on the table, smiling as he nudged her thighs apart.

“No?” He moved between her legs and slid his hands underneath her shirt and up her sides, his palms warming her skin as she shook her head at him. “Why not here?”

“I’m not fucking you on the kitchen table.” She stated, even as she wrapped her legs around his waist. “She’ll see...”

He arched an eyebrow and looked around the room. “She? She who?”

“The TARDIS.” Rose whispered, draping her arms over his shoulders and scooting closer to the edge of the table.

He chuckled and lowered his head, drawing her bottom lip into his mouth for a brief moment. When he felt her nails lightly scratch at the nape of his neck, he pulled back and stared into her glazed eyes.

“She’ll see no matter where we are.”

“Yeah, but...” Rose started and then sighed softly.

“But?” He prompted gently, lifting his hand to the side of her face and tenderly rubbing his thumb over her lip.

“I’d rather be in bed.” She whispered, a sudden nervousness in her voice that brought a smile to the Doctor’s face. “It’d be better in a bed. Don’t you think?”

He gave her a quick nod and slid his hands out from under her shirt. She whimpered at the loss of contact, pouting at him as he reached behind him and carefully untangled himself from her legs. He met her eyes as he took a step back, reaching for her hand and pulling her from the table.

“What’s this about then, Rose?”

“What?” She asked, concentrating very hard on standing upright as the TARDIS floor tilted beneath her feet. “She’s moving...”

“No...she’s still. We’re drunk. The pout...why are you pouting at me? Thought you wanted to go to bed?”

“I do. I just...didn’t like it when you let go of me.”

His smile returned as he lifted his hands to cradle her face. “Only let go of you so I can take you to...um...my room or yours?”

“Mine’s closer.” She mumbled, quickly untucking his shirt and slipping her hands underneath it to touch his skin.

He inhaled sharply at the contact, squirming lightly as she traced one of his ribs with a fingernail. “Your room then...now?”

“Uh-huh...yeah...now. Definitely now...”

He stared at her, easily reading the desire...the lust and raw _need_...in her eyes. He knew she was drunk, very drunk...and so was he. He had no issues admitting his inebriation. He also had no issues admitting that his need for her was far more powerful than his drunkenness. And he was fairly certain that the same was true for Rose.

With no further internal debates, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her deeply. _Quickly_ , but deeply. And then...with a bright grin...he grabbed her hand and led her down the hall. To her room.

Because it was closer.

* * *

Rose giggled as the Doctor fell forward, bouncing onto the bed with his trousers around his knees. He’d been attempting to undress as quickly as possible, forgetting to remove his sneakers before pushing his pants down. Remembering at the last minute, he stopped and leaned over to untie his shoes.

It wasn’t a difficult task...however, a drunk Doctor’s balance was pretty much non-existent, resulting in him falling face first onto her bed. Rose’s giggle turned into full blown laughter when he shot her a glare.

“Good job, Casanova.”

He rolled onto his back and sat up, arching an eyebrow at her. “Giacomo’s worse than this when he’s had too much to drink. Trust me, you’re lucky it’s me and not him...”

“Huh?” She asked in amusement, dropping to her knees and pulling his laces free. “I get the idea there’s a story there...a pretty good one too.”

He nodded slowly, watching in fascination as she removed his shoes and socks. “I still owe him a chicken, I think...tell you about it later, yeah?”

She returned his nod and glanced at his lap as she eased his trousers down his legs, carefully pulling them off and tossing them to the side. “All the running we do and you wear boxers?”

“Sometimes...not all the time...” He paused as she nudged his knees apart and slid her hands up his thighs as she knelt between his legs. “I suppose you wear more appropriate underwear then?”

She grinned up at him, her fingertips gently stroking the silky material of his boxers. “Depends...sometimes I do. Sometimes I’m all lace and satin...”

His eyes darkened, glancing at her chest as he fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. “What are you today? Did you dress for comfort or pleasure?”

Her fingers ghosted over his erection that his choice of undergarments failed to conceal and she grinned as he cursed softly. At least, she assumed it was a curse...the tone was right, but the language was decidedly not English. She briefly wondered why the TARDIS didn’t translate it for her.

“What was that?” She whispered, batting his hands away and taking over the task of unbuttoning his shirt.

“Dunno.” He murmured absently, running his finger along the deep ‘v’ of her jumper. “Show me, Rose.”

She pulled the last button on his shirt free and sat back on her heels, a playful smile on her lips as she rested her palms on his knees. “Find out for yourself.”

He shrugged out of his shirt, letting it fall onto the bed as he stared into her eyes. “Come here.”

She shivered at the tone of his voice, deeper than it had been just a moment earlier...deeper and rich with lust. She rose up on her knees, her nails lightly digging into his thighs as he ran the backs of his fingers over her breasts.

He smiled as she sucked in a sharp breath, his thumbs rubbing a gentle circle around her erect nipples before his hands slid down to grasp the hem of her jumper. “Rose?”

“Huh?” She breathed, leaning forward slightly as she stared at his lips.

“Arms up...” He whispered, licking his lips as her eyes darted to his. “I can’t get it off unless you help me a bit.”

“Oh...” She blushed lightly, releasing her grip on his thighs and lifting her arms.

He chuckled softly and pulled her jumper up. She realized that his chuckle ended abruptly as he tugged the garment over her head. She bit her lip nervously as he dropped the jumper to the floor and ran his fingertips along the left strap of her bra.

“Satin.” He whispered thickly, his eyes following his fingers as they moved to cup her breast. “And lace. Oh, Rose...”

“Doctor...” She groaned, arching her chest towards him. “God, Doctor....”

He moved quickly, his free hand sliding to the back of her head as he leaned forward and covered her mouth with his. He swallowed her moan, his fingers gently squeezing the firm flesh of her breast.

And then the urgency kicked in...for both of them.

His tongue plundered her mouth as she pushed herself up, effectively pushing him onto his back as she crawled over him. His hand abandoned her breast and he felt her groan of protest more than he heard it. That was followed by an immediate sigh of relief when he moved his hand between them and worked the button and zipper of her jeans free.

She kicked her shoes off, taking her turn at exploring his mouth with her tongue as he pushed her jeans down over her hips. He slid his hands up her back, seemingly content to let her have control of the kiss as he unclasped her bra. However, that changed as soon as she shifted enough to let him rid her of the blue satin and lace.

Less than five seconds after he felt a bare nipple brush against his chest, he rolled her onto her back and reclaimed the kiss as his. His hand tugged and pulled at her jeans, not pausing until he heard the soft thud of denim landing on the TARDIS floor. After another thrust of his tongue into her mouth, he pulled back and knelt next to her...smiling at her through lust-glazed eyes as she fought for her breath.

His smile gave way to a shuddering groan as she reached out and pressed her palm against his erection. “Rose...oh, fuck...Rose...”

A grin made its way to her lips as she pushed his boxers down, freeing his hard cock. “Oh...oh, this is...”

“Okay?” He swallowed thickly as her fingers curled around the thick shaft.

“Better than...” She assured, stroking him as she watched him watch her hand. “Like that?”

“Yeah...” He muttered, licking his lips as he reached over and brushed his trembling fingers over her stomach. “Harder...but...but, not faster...”

He whispered another non-English curse as she complied, slipping his fingers under the matching blue satin and lace underwear she was wearing. He gave a low growl when his fingertips encountered her wet... _very_ wet...heat.

She gasped when she heard the distinct sound of ripping lace. She chuckled when she then heard his mumbled apology and promise to buy her ‘a new one’. Her chuckle ended abruptly, melting into a moan of pleasure as he dipped the tip of his middle finger into her.

“Doctor!” She cried out, clamping her eyes shut and arching her hips towards him.

He quickly grabbed her wrist, putting a halt to her hard strokes as he moved his finger to circle her clit. “Stop.”

Her eyes snapped open at the gruff sound of his voice. “Huh?”

He took a deep breath and carefully pulled her hand from his erection. “If you don’t stop, I’m going to come...and...”

She reached down and wrapped her fingers around his wrist. “Then you’d better stop too.”

Lifting his hand to his mouth, he licked her juices from his fingers before sighing softly. She watched him, suddenly wondering what she tasted like on his lips and tongue. When he grinned and stretched out next to her, leaning over her as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss, she realized that she’d spoken that thought aloud.

When he ended the kiss moments later and asked what she thought, she offered him a smile and ran her fingers through his hair. “Weird, but...not...bad.”

“Mm...I think I’d go with ‘divine’ instead of ‘not bad’.” He murmured, sliding his hand down to her hip and allowing his gaze to follow. “You’re even more beautiful than I imagined you’d be.”

She arched an eyebrow at him, tracing the folds of his ear with her fingertip. “You imagined?”

“ ‘Course I did. I may not be human, but I...”

“You’re still a man.” She finished for him as he trailed off.

He shook his head and moved to kneel between her thighs. “Still a man who wants to fuck you...”

She bent her legs, resting her knees against his sides as she slipped her arms around him. “Then fuck me.”

He inhaled sharply at her whispered command, reaching between them to guide his erection through her wet folds. “Oh, yes...Rose...”

She held her breath as he shifted his hips and pushed into her. Her fingers curled against his back, her nails lightly digging into his skin. He paused when he had filled her, dropping a soft kiss on her forehead as he held himself above her.

“Rose?”

“Huh?”

He smiled and waited for her to meet his eyes. When she did, he licked his lips and lowered his voice to a whisper.

“Breathe.”

She inhaled deeply, somewhat shakily, and draped her left leg over his hip. “You feel so good...”

“Haven’t done anything yet...” He grinned and drew his hips back. “Ready?”

She had barely gotten her answer out before he pushed back into her. His eyes closed at the sound of her moan, the sensation of her nails threatening to break his skin as they raked up and down his back. His hand moved down to her hip, holding her tightly as he picked a rhythm that she seemed to like.

There was a voice in his head telling him to slow down, to make it last...to show her what he felt for her. He tried to listen, _wanted_ to listen...wanted to slow down. But, then her mouth found the side of his neck...teeth scraping and nipping at his skin as she bucked her hips against him, encouraging him to move harder.

He resisted for a few moments, trying his best to draw the sensations out. And then she dug her nails into his ribs and cried out for him to fuck her. To fuck her hard, fast...

Who was he to argue with a woman who was writhing beneath him?

He drowned out the voice in his head with a loud groan and pushed himself up until he was kneeling between her thighs once more. He bit his bottom lip as he watched her...breasts jostling with each thrust, skin pink from arousal and damp with sweat...eyes staring back at him, dark with lust.

And that was when he felt it. Her inner walls quivering around his thrusting cock. He felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of his neck as she clenched her eyes shut and threw her head back against the pillow. Suddenly, all he wanted was to mark her flesh as he fucked her.

He moved quickly...grabbing her hands and leaning over her, pressing her hands against the mattress above her head. He covered both of her wrists with one hand as he lowered his mouth to her throat. He could feel her groan rumbling under his lips, vibrating against his teeth as he felt her hot juices begin to build up around him.

Just as he moved his mouth to the side of her neck and pulled her tender flesh into his mouth, she pulled her left hand free from his grasp. He didn’t seem to notice until he felt her fingers in his hair, her nails scraping against his scalp as she held him to her. He sucked harder, no doubt leaving his mark on her pale skin and causing her to cry out his name...interspersed with incoherent curses as she moved her hips in time with his.

She came suddenly, flooding his cock as she tightened her legs around him. He tore his mouth from her neck and threw his head back, giving a guttural groan as he shuddered and came deep within her.

He let go of her hand, resting his forehead against hers as his hips gradually ground to a halt, gasping for breath as she wrapped her arms around him. He could smell the nearly sweet scent of alcohol on her breath as she panted...and wondered if she could smell the same on his.

“Rose...” He whispered, his fingers trembling as he reached up to brush her sweat-dampened hair back from her face.

“Stay...” She whispered in return, her fingertips lightly stroking his sideburn.

He nodded silently, brushing his lips across hers before carefully extracting himself from her and collapsing at her side. The room pitched violently as he rolled onto his back. He closed his eyes, wishing for the sudden spinning to stop.

He felt her warm, soft lips press a gentle kiss to his chest as she draped her arm over his abdomen. He smiled, murmuring softly...not caring that he was actually speaking Gallifreyan instead of English...as he curled his arm around her and held her securely against his suddenly exhausted body.

And as he listened to her breathing change, the room stopped spinning.

* * *

The Doctor opened his eyes and then immediately closed them with a soft groan. The light was too bright, the white noise in his head far too loud. He took a deep breath, fighting down a wave of nausea. When the wave passed and he had successfully defeated it, he licked his dry lips and opened his eyes again.

He furrowed his brow in confusion. He wasn’t in his own room, his own bed. Through the white noise, he heard her calling him...begging him to fuck her. Harder...faster...

“Oh, God...” He gasped, lifting his hand to his face. “No...no, no, no...this wasn’t supposed to happen...”

Suddenly, the white noise disappeared and heard a soft sob to his left. He rolled his head towards the sound...just in time to see Rose scramble from the bed and grab her robe.

Ignoring the nausea and the blinding pain in his head, he sat up and called her name. She stopped in the doorway, her hand on the frame for support. Even through his blurred vision, he was certain he could see her tremble.

“Rose...” He whispered again, silently willing her to turn around.

She shook her head, tying the belt of the robe tight around her. “Just...just take me home.”

His eyes narrowed, staring at her back as she refused to turn around. He was fairly certain that he hadn’t forced himself on her...that it was a mutual thing. He searched for the details that seemed to be floating just out of his reach, his hearts dropping when he heard her sniffle.

“I...I thought you wanted – ”

“But, you didn’t.” She interrupted, her tone harsh enough to make him flinch.

“What? Rose...” He paused as he thought about his reaction when he first woke up. “Oh, no...Rose...”

“Just take me home.” She whispered sadly before running out of the room, effectively ending the conversation.

He sat there for a few moments...in her bed. In her bed with sheets still damp from her orgasm hours earlier. The orgasm that he’d given her. The orgasm he’d given her as she’d screamed his name.

He glanced down as his cock twitched lightly. He scowled and shook his head.

“Haven’t you caused enough trouble?”

He sighed and dragged his hand through his hair. She’d misunderstood his meaning. Of course, he couldn’t really blame her...he hadn’t exactly made it clear, had he? He rubbed his chest, examining his skin a bit closer when he felt a slight sting.

His mouth quirked into a small smile. Scratches. His chest was a mass of scratches...given to him in passion as he’d...

He’d fucked her.

They’d gotten drunk, _blind_ drunk, after narrowly escaping death...and then he’d taken complete advantage of the situation and had fucked her. He felt a rush of disgust at the understanding that she believed that was all it’d been. And that was his fault.

Because his mouth worked faster than his brain sometimes.

He shook his head sadly and climbed out of the bed. He found his boxers fairly quickly and slipped them on, rubbing at the bruise on his neck. He needed to find her...he _really_ needed to find her. Now...

The TARDIS was much bigger on the inside than the outside, but he hoped the search wouldn’t take very long. He pushed the pain of his hangover as far aside as he could and swallowed thickly.

And then he left the room in search of her.

* * *

She was in the second place he looked. And if he’d really thought about it, she would’ve been in the first place he’d looked. He shook his head, wondering why he even thought to look in the library first.

Lifting his hand, he placed his palm against the cool metal door. He could hear the water running, knew she was taking a shower…cleaning her body of dried sweat and saliva. He swallowed hard when he suddenly realized that this wasn’t the first time he’d stood here and listened to her shower, but it was the first time that he’d failed to hear her voice singing some random song as she showered.

He allowed his hand to slide down to the doorknob, pausing before he actually turned it. The thought that maybe she had locked it to keep him out didn’t escape his mind. But…he had to try. And so, he took a deep breath and turned the knob…exhaling a sigh of relief as the door opened silently.

A brief smile appeared on his lips as a cloud of steam rolled out into the hallway. He’d teased her on more than one occasion about the heat of her showers. She’d always answered with a grin and nothing more. His smile faded as he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

He couldn’t see her clearly through the steam and lightly frosted glass shower door, but…he _could_ see that she was leaning instead of standing under the hot spray of water, forehead pressed to the tiles and hand curled into a fist on the wall. He glanced at the door, wondering if it would be best if he just left her alone for now.

But, then he heard it. A human might not have, but…he wasn’t human.

He heard her soft sob, just barely audible over the water rushing through the pipes. His hand was on the shower door, pushing it open before he could second-guess himself.

As usual, his timing was impeccable and he was able to catch her as she started to slide down the wall to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her stomach, pulling her back against his chest as he pressed his lips to her shoulder. He was more than surprised when she didn’t struggle against him.

“Rose…” He choked out as she continued to cry. “Oh, Rose…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”

She shook her head and reached down, wrapping her fingers around his forearm. “Don’t! Just…just don’t!”

“You don’t understand…” He whispered, more to himself than her.

She pulled his arm away from her and turned to face him. He instinctively took a step back when he saw the anger in her eyes.

“I don’t understand? No. No, I don’t understand, Doctor! I thought it was different, that _I_ was different….that you…you were different.” She rambled, reaching over and wrenching the taps closed. “But, you’re not…are you? Still just a man who – ”

“Stop!” The Doctor stated firmly, his dark eyes glistening as he shook his head. “Just please, just stop and…let me try to explain. Please, Rose…”

She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him expectantly. He ran his hand through his wet hair and then wiped the water from the side of his face.

“The details are what I want to remember.” He started softly, leaning back against the shower wall and glancing at the bottle of citrus-scented shampoo that she’d insisted on buying before they’d left London the last time. “And I don’t. Do you remember what it felt like when I tickled the back of your knee with my fingertips?”

After a few moments of silence, Rose lightly shook her head and cleared her throat. Her voice was a bit croaky when she spoke, as if she’d been crying heavily…which she had.

“No…you did that?”

He slowly met her eyes, the glistening in his eyes becoming heavier as he swallowed. “I don’t know. That’s my point.”

“What?”

“I know that I’d wanted to…I’d wanted to for so long, just to see your reaction. So, I’m sure that I probably did, but…I don’t remember, Rose. I don’t remember the little things and…if I’d waited, if I hadn’t drunk so much…I’d remember.”

She bit her lip as he looked away from her. “That’s what you meant? When you said…that it wasn’t supposed to have happened?”

He nodded slowly, not trusting his voice at that moment. He flinched when he felt her fingertips ghost over the bruise on his neck.

“Sorry…” She whispered, pulling her hand back.

He turned to her, quickly grabbing her wrist and leaning into her. She inhaled sharply as he pressed his lips to hers. Her mind had just registered the sensation of his lips moving against hers when he ended the kiss and took a deep breath.

“I don’t regret loving you, Rose.” He trailed his fingertips down her cheek as her eyes widened. “And what I said this morning was unthoughtful and rash…and completely misunderstood. If you still want me to take you home, I will. Of course, I will…but, I was hoping…”

“Hoping what?” She asked when he trailed off.

“That you thought of this as home.” He replied after a slight hesitation.

She shivered and he pushed himself from the wall. She didn’t pull away from him as he grabbed her hand and opened the shower door.

“Come on, you’re getting cold.”

She glanced down as she followed him out, furrowing her brow. “You’re wearing your boxers.”

“Huh?” He grabbed a warm, fluffy towel and turned to her. “Oh…well, I…”

She sniffed lightly and a small smile appeared on her lips as he wrapped the towel around her. “And you didn’t once look at me. A naked woman standing right in front of you, and – ”

“This wasn’t about sex.” The Doctor interrupted softly. “You’re beautiful and lovely and soft…so very soft and warm...but, I needed to talk to you. I needed to make you understand.”

“Doctor…”

“Please tell me you understand, Rose.” He whispered urgently.

She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair before running her thumb over his ear. She sighed softly and then gave him a gentle nod.

“Yeah, I understand.”

They stared at one another for a few long seconds, each studying the emotions running in the other’s eyes. And then he grinned brightly and reached behind him to grab the doorknob.

“Right! So…I’ll go get showered and dressed, we can go…well, we can go anywhere you want. Think about it and…maybe…um…coffee? I think coffee would be really good this morning…”

She laughed softly, nodding as she gently nudged him towards the door. “Go on, then. I’ll have coffee ready for your grand return.”

“Okay, won’t be long!”

She shook her head in amusement as he stepped into the hall and turned right. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“Oh, I love you…”

It was only a second or two before he ducked his head back in, eyes sparkling happily. “Love you too, Rose Tyler.” He glanced at her neck and arched an eyebrow. “Um…might want to wear a collar today…”

She glanced in the mirror and rolled her eyes at the sight of the mark on her neck. She turned back to give him some sarcastic response that would be guaranteed to make him laugh…only to find him gone.

She chuckled and made her way back to her room, wondering what it would feel like for him to tickle the back of her knee with his fingertips. She heard him singing loudly in the bathroom down the hall and smiled, determined to find out how he’ll feel when she dips her tongue into his navel.

She looked around and inhaled deeply. This was home…more than four walls and no mortgage, but it was home. His home, her home… _their_ home.

Maybe she could talk him into carpet.

Just in a couple of rooms…

 

~ End


End file.
